Huge solar farm in Gloucestershire covering hundreds of acres of land gets go-ahead

Major plans to build one of the UK’s biggest solar farms between Newent and Gloucester have been given the go-ahead.

JBM Solar Projects 21 Ltd has been granted permission to create a 49.9 megawatt solar farm with battery storage on land near Highleadon.

The new solar farm will cover more than 286 acres of agricultural land for 40 years and will consist of photovoltaic (PV) panels ground mounted with a maximum height of 9.8ft.

Vehicle access to the site will be from the B4125 via a new priority T-junction and substations including inverters to convert the direct current electricity generated by the PV panels, into alternating current for transmission, and transformers.

The solar farm will also have switchgear substations which are the export point for the transmission of electricity, battery storage facilities, 132kv substation and a security system to prevent unauthorised access.

The Forest of Dean District Council’s development management committee approved the proposals at a meeting on 10 October.

Officers had recommended approving the proposal as on balance, they believe the solar farms’ benefits would significantly outweigh the harms.

District councillors also felt this planning application was the least contentious of the sites which have been proposed between Newent and Highnam.

Taynton Parish Council objected saying there should be greater separation of the panels from Kents Green at the western end of the development.

They said glint and glare may be an issue for residents, particularly Kents Green and noise from inverter cabin cooling fans.

Rudford and Highleadon Parish Council did not lodge a formal objection but raised concerns over mud from the proposed access during construction off the B4215 which carries a large number of vehicles each day.

Parish councillors were also concerned biodiversity enhancements won’t be implemented and will be one of the largest solar farms in the United Kingdom and, by some distance, the largest in a rural residential area.

However, consultants working on the scheme say the solar farm supports the UK Government’s intention to move to a low carbon economy, which represents a substantial benefit.

The committee voted to approve the proposals by seven votes in favour, one against and one abstention.

Credit: Carmelo Garcia, Local Democracy Reporter